If Only We Had a Prius to Get There and Back

If you want to create a yuppie frenzy, open a Whole Foods.  Our neighborhood is probably about as ideal as you can get, demographically, for this store -- lots of reasonably well-off families and professional types, mostly liberal, on the whole rabidly pro-organic and concerned about locally sourced food, blah blah.  Up to now, we've been shopping at an NYC grocery store chain that has a somewhat shabby outpost right around the corner from us, and we've had to traipse to other nearby stores to grab the many basic items that our D'Ag would mysteriously run out of from week to week.  

So of course we were incredibly excited when we learned that Whole Foods would be opening a store close by.  Could one-stop shopping be within our grasp?  Sadly, no, because evidently Gatorade and soda do not qualify as organic, so we still have to stop elsewhere to satisfy our beverage habit.  Otherwise, though?  It's pretty much the best thing to happen to our neighborhood since Alec Baldwin moved in.  So much produce!  So many whole grain snack choices!  So much fresh cheese and artisanal bread and saag paneer!  We may end up 50 pounds heavier and thousands of dollars poorer, but dammit we'll be happy.  Thank you, Whole Foods.  Thank you. 

It was rather frenzy-like, indeed, since we went on Saturday morning, just two days after the place opened.  At first we were one of just a handful of people wandering about, gazing lustfully at the tzatziki dip and fondling the heirloom tomatoes, but within half an hour, the place was awash in Phil & Ted's strollers and Fit Flops (which, in case you've wondered, have proven very comfy but I don't believe they have done much for the tone of my rear area). 

All things considered, it wasn't too chaotic; no fisticuffs broke out over the bulk basmati rice or anything, and even with the teeming masses it was more pleasant than my weekly grocery excursions to D'Ag, with the cramped aisles and the CONSTANT obtrusive restocking of shelves (always RIGHT where you wanted to get something, of course) and the verbally abusive elderly ladies who seemed to follow me around the store as if their creaky upright shopping carts were magnetized to my butt.  We got out of there with everything we wanted and so much more (except the Gatorade and soda), and have been blissfully filling our bellies with wholesome goodness ever since. 

So, ah.  Yep.  That was the highlight of my weekend.  How about yours?

Comments

[julia]

May your local Whole Foods never reach the craziness that is the Union Square NYC location. Every time I march in there, I do a 180 right back out! If you ever want some starchy goodness, I'd recommend the 365 Days brand of frozen tater tots. They're so easy and tasty!

[terriwc]

oh, I can hardly wait to visit so we can go. Certainly there will never be one in our town and the only one I have been in was in SF. I could have stayed for hours ;

[H]

I wish we had Whole Foods.

Highlight of the week was buying a new laptop for my son and getting it set up without a hitch. Also, we had beautiful weather for several days in a row - unheard of this summer.

[Gwen]

I'll take the Union Square Whole Foods over Columbus Circle any day. Something about the Columbus Circle location is just so claustrophobia and panic-inducing to me. I gave up going in there halfway through the summer because I would just end up overwhelmed, and inevitably ditch my basket and flee to Bouchon to buy a consolation pastry instead.

Highlight of my weekend: brunch at Rosebud in Atlanta. So delicious.

[Natasha]

We had a great weekend and went to Whole Foods too to restock on some of our favorites. Its on the other side of town so we only go there every 6 weeks or so, but we do love it.
I do agree that the aisles are cramped and granola people are a-plenty, but everyone is so friendly!
Try our fav's:
1. Their 365 cereal bars
2. Their 365 Almond butter
3. Whole Pantry brand Arrabbiata Sauce
All three SO yummy!
We have lots of other fav's, we are total foodies!
have a great week,
Natasha

[Sarah]

Hey M - my readership lapsed for a while but I'm back playing catch-up on past entries... I SO missed your hysterical commentary on, well, everything. Eastern L.I. is eagerly awaiting a Whole Foods sometime in 2010. Can't wait! At least we have Trader Joe's to sustain us. Caleb is hooked on WF's Tropical Bliss Dried Fruit Medley and we use it to make our own rockin' trail mix. In the meantime, my poor Mom is keeping us stocked from TX. Too bad for her we couldn't love something with less shipping weight. Weekend highlight: chillaxing at the beach with the fam.